Visual data analysis with animated informational morphing replay

• US 9,767,145 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Prophete, Didier, Chakravarthy, Vijayasarathy
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US14/512,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 707765, 707722, 707728, 707769, 707798
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24534 Query rewriting; Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites

Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to a platform for ultra-fast, ad-hoc data exploration and faceted navigation on integrated, heterogeneous data sets. The disclosed apparatus and methods for visual data analysis with animated informational morphing replay provide live data rendering on a live dashboard, with flexible display options for analyzing data and conveying analysis results.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing data and conveying analysis results comprising:

a computer including a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including;

receiving a query against an analytic data structure with a first grouping;

returning results of the query in data that represents a first chart or graph, wherein

segments of the first chart or graph are controls that trigger generation of a second query upon selection;

controls accompanying the first chart or graph implement

filtering,

regrouping, and

selection of a second chart or graph of a different visual organization than the first chart or graph;

receiving selections of a segment and a regrouping from the controls, and responsively

generating a second query based on the selected segment and regrouping;

subdividing the selected segment to correspond to results of the second query;

morphing the selected segment from an initial appearance through a first animation sequence to a second appearance that corresponds to the results of the second query; and

returning data that represents the first animation sequence;

receiving a further selected regrouping and responsively

generating a third query based on the further selected regrouping;

subdividing segments of the first chart or graph to correspond to results of the third query;

morphing the segments from an initial appearance through a second animation sequence to a third appearance that corresponds to the results of the third query; and

returning data that represents the second animation sequence.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analytic data structure is a read only data structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including:

recording the received selections and the queries to rerun against the analytic data structure;

responsive to a replay request signal, replaying the received selections and the queries and with the animated morphing; and

returning data that represents the animation sequences.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including:

receiving a selected sorting and responsively morphing the first chart or graph from an initial appearance in a first sort order through a third animation sequence to a further appearance in a second sort order that corresponds to the selected sorting; and

returning data that represents the third animation sequence.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including:

receiving a selected sorting;

receiving a selection of a second chart or graph visual organization;

responsively morphing the first chart or graph from an initial appearance in a first sort order through a third animation sequence to a further appearance that corresponds to the selected second chart or graph visual organization and in a second sort order that corresponds to the selected sorting; and

returning data that represents the third animation sequence.

6. A computer-implemented method of analyzing data and conveying analysis results comprising:

receiving a query against an analytic data structure with a first grouping;

returning results of the query in data that represents a first chart or graph, wherein

segments of the first chart or graph are controls that trigger generation of a second query upon selection;

controls accompanying the first chart or graph implement

filtering,

regrouping, and

selection of a second chart or graph of a different visual organization than the first chart or graph;

receiving selections of a segment and a regrouping from the controls and responsively

generating a second query based on the selected segment and regrouping;

subdividing the selected segment to correspond to results of the second query;

morphing the selected segment from an initial appearance through a first animation sequence to a second appearance that corresponds to the results of the second query; and

returning data that represents the first animation sequence;

receiving a further selected regrouping and responsively

generating a third query based on the further selected regrouping;

subdividing segments of the first chart or graph to correspond to results of the third query;

morphing the segments from an initial appearance through a second animation sequence to a third appearance that corresponds to the results of the third query; and

returning data that represents the second animation sequence.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the analytic data structure is a read only data structure.

8. The method of claim 6, further including computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including:

recording the received selections and the queries to rerun against the analytic data structure;

responsive to a replay request signal, replaying the received selections and the queries and with the animated morphing; and

returning data that represents the animation sequences.

9. The method of claim 6, further including computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including:

receiving a selected sorting and responsively morphing the first chart or graph from an initial appearance in a first sort order through a third animation sequence to a further appearance in a second sort order that corresponds to the selected sorting; and

returning data that represents the third animation sequence.

10. The method of claim 6, further including computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including:

receiving a selected sorting;

receiving a selection of a second chart or graph visual organization;

responsively morphing the first chart or graph from an initial appearance in a first sort order through a third animation sequence to a further appearance that corresponds to the second chart or graph visual organization and in a second sort order that corresponds to the selected sorting; and

returning data that represents the third animation sequence.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable memory including computer program instructions that cause a computer to implement a process including:

receiving a query against an analytic data structure with a first grouping;

returning results of the query in data that represents a first chart or graph, wherein

segments of the first chart or graph are controls that trigger generation of a second query upon selection;

controls accompanying the first chart or graph implement

filtering,

regrouping, and

selection of a second chart or graph of a different visual organization than the first chart or graph;

receiving selections of a segment and a regrouping from the controls and responsively

generating a second query based on the selected segment and regrouping;

subdividing the selected segment to correspond to results of the second query; and

morphing the selected segment from an initial appearance through a first animation sequence to a second appearance that corresponds to the results of the second query; and

returning data that represents the first animation sequence; and

receiving a further selected regrouping and responsively

generating a third query based on the further selected regrouping;

subdividing segments of the first chart or graph to correspond to results of the third query;

morphing the segments from an initial appearance through a second animation sequence to a third appearance that corresponds to the results of the third query; and

returning data that represents the second animation sequence.

12. The tangible computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the analytic data structure is a read only data structure.

13. The tangible computer-readable memory of claim 11, further including computer program instructions that cause the computer to implement a process including:

recording the received selections and the queries to rerun against the analytic data structure; and

responsive to a replay request signal, replaying the received selections and the queries and with the animated morphing; and

returning data that represents the animation sequences.

14. The tangible computer-readable memory of claim 11, further including computer program instructions that cause the computer to implement a process including:

receiving a selected sorting and responsively morphing the first chart or graph from an initial appearance in a first sort order through a third animation sequence to a further appearance in a second sort order that corresponds to the selected sorting; and

returning data that represents the third animation sequence.

15. The tangible computer-readable memory of claim 11, further including computer program instructions that cause the computer to implement a process including:

receiving a selected sorting;

receiving a selection of a second chart or graph visual organization;

responsively morphing the first chart or graph from an initial appearance in a first sort order through a third animation sequence to a further appearance that corresponds to the second chart or graph visual organization and in a second sort order that corresponds to the selected sorting; and

returning data that represents the third animation sequence.